


bleed through

by nesii



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Smut, joshler - Freeform, tyler also has vitiligo, tyler has achromatopsia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:11:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7716058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nesii/pseuds/nesii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>tyler joseph is a young highschool boy with a vision disorder. josh is a pretty boy who cares too much.<br/>(highschool joshler + slight soulmate au)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one

everything started on a monday.

tyler was sitting in the back of his usual maths classroom, his hood pulled tightly around his head. his face was covered, as always, hiding his imperfections he was so self conscious about. he didn't speak.  
as always.

his squinted eyes were focused on the desk in front of him. he never did his work on paper, so his day consisted of forcing himself to focus on the lessons and cramming all of the knowledge in the back of his head. he always heard people snickering and gossiping him once they were seated, and it infuriated him. they know he's got a problem, and he knows it too. all too well. if they had an issue with the fact that he was fucked up, they should face him personally.

he pressed a cold palm to his forehead and sighed, shutting his eyes and allowing his head to hang down between his arms. he drifted off into his own world, savoring the surrounding quiet. he was actually falling asleep when the teacher suddenly snapped a loud 'Joseph!', making him come back into reality.

the bell rang soon after.  
he looked up and squinted, and a gruff sounding kid mumbled something along the lines of 'lazy ass' under his breath, making everyone giggle quietly. tyler pulled his hoodie closer to the sides of his face, gripping it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. it's not a big deal when you get targeted, but to him it was. he struggled with so much paranoia and self hatred that every insult shot at him made his eyes water.

the voice spoke again, this time, directing his words to tyler. a chair scooted away from a desk. "hey, its the helpless blind boy." the voice sneered. tyler held his breath. he heard shuffling feet come towards him.  
"you gonna get up or just lay there, freak?" he hissed.

tyler stood up.

he opened his eyes widely to the blinding white light, faced with the blurry image of a tall boy with long black hair. he looked down momentarily, and then the boy was on the ground, holding his nose. "you little fucker!—" another voice sounded from the doorway of the classroom, and tyler knew he needed to run. so he did. he quickly grabbed his backs and knocked over desks, ramming his way through countless people and shoving the teacher in the entrance harshly, earning a shout. tyler grinned and drew his hood close, panting loudly as he ran through the school.

the last thing he saw was the distorted image of a doe eyed boy with cotton-textured hair standing in front of him before he felt his foot catch on the sidewalk, and then everything went black.


	2. two

tyler woke up not too long after the fall, and he wasn't on the ground. a fast heart beat was present not far from his own.

he looked up, holding his head. the light wasn't as bothersome as usual. in fact, he wasn't even squinting. what the hell?  
he slowly came back to reality, looking up to find that he was cradled in somebody's arms. the weirdest part, though, was that he could see. not completely, but the blinding amount of light that always caused him to narrow his eyes and be unable to see was gone. he could see clearly. everything was still in black and white for him, though.

his arms were wrapped loosely around someone.

"hold on man, we're almost to the nurse.." the person spoke, and tyler allowed his head to fall back with a loud groan. he left his eyes open though, almost never blinking in the fear that it was all a dream. he took his time to look at the stranger who was taking large, worried steps. it was the same guy tyler had remembered from earlier, before he fell. it was strange, really, because when he'd looked up at him for the first time, he could have sworn the guy was..glowing? nah.

he had multi-coloured cotton hair, (black and gray to tyler, of course) and squinty eyes that fitted his soft face, and from the way the guy was holding him, tyler could tell he wasn't weak like himself. he was holding tyler as if he were a frail being that would be broken if even the feeling of being dropped reached him. he felt strong arms cradling him against his chest, one behind his head and the other curled under him. tyler had been staring, he realized, blushing and hiding his face in the side of his hoodie.

they reached the nurse's block eventually, and tyler could hear the assistants instantly rushing to his attention. he laid in the man's arms and whined to himself when he was swept away from the warmth, throwing the boy a longing look with extended arms and sad eyes. the guy just bit his lip and took a seat outside the office.  
"mister joseph? are you okay?" tyler hears a nurse murmur as another wrapped his head in a few places. he simply nods and sits up, holding his head and panicking. the light was back.  
he quietly repeated a chorus of "no no no" and felt panic rising in his stomach, and he shot his glare to his saviour, shivers rolling violently down his spine when they met eyes. the boy's own eyes widened at the sight of tyler's face, causing him to scowl and re-tighten his hood. he shook even more, and he didn't know why, but his arms were still slightly outstretched to the boy, who, gladly, came over. he looked at tyler and took his hand in his own, and tyler blinked. no light. he could feel his heart in his throat when the warm feeling from the other body was returned to his own, and he trailed his hands further up the mystery man's arms and found his shoulders, and soon enough they were hugging. it was a little awkward, really, but tyler was almost one hundred percent certain that the kid was a god.  
the cotton haired man pulled away gently, not letting go of tyler entirely. "hey. i'm josh. are you alright? you seem a little..out of it" he murmured in his ear, causing him to shudder. tyler nodded quickly, eyeing josh up and down. he had some tattoos placed on his body, (a lot more than tyler, at that) and a nice buff tone to it. tyler gulped.  
"can i take him to his bus? it's time to go.." josh blurts to one of the nurses, and she nods.  
tyler almost smiles, but keeps it to himself. he hops off of the gurney-like bed and realizes how short he is compared to josh and blushes a little, walking right beside him. josh smiles kindly and offers his arm, which tyler gladly took as an opportunity to link his own with.  
they walk like that, and it just so happened they rode the same bus. now that was just too horrifyingly convenient. tyler sat in the very back while josh sat a few seats in front of him, socializing with everyone. he noticed the brute from earlier had his head laid down on the back of his seat, resting in his crossed arms. he was grinning daggers into tyler, and it made him shudder.

the bus ride was uneventful, up until they reached tyler's apartment complex.

he stood at the same time as josh, giving a quiet "are you actually kidding me" thought to himself before slowly walking up the aisle.  
before he knew it though, there was a loud "crack!" noise followed by a deafening shriek from tyler as he was flung into the seat across from the black-haired menace, who shrugged his shoulders. "oops" he pouted, laughing. tyler could feel his ankle burning, but a more overpowering sensation was crawling under his skin. he realized, his hood had been knocked back. and everyone saw it. "fucking weirdo.. you really are a freak-" he hissed loudly, repeating that same word from earlier before standing and towering over tyler with a fist raised. he winced and curled up into ball, and then a sickening 'thud' sounded throughout the bus. tyler looked up.  
josh had the guy against the bus window, his face a different shade than usual. "you think it's funny to hurt people? you know what'll be really funny? when i slam your fucking head into the window!" he shouted, throwing the guy against the side of the bus before swirling around to face a wide-eyed, crying tyler. josh quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him into the aisle, shooting glares at everyone who even dared to look their way. tyler remained quiet, only uttering any noise when he felt josh's hands move to his thighs. "come on, i'll help" he muttered into his ear, which really seemed to be driving tyler crazy today. he limped to the door with the help of the seats and josh's distracting hands, not giving the bus driver a second glance before hopping off the bus and biting his lip to suppress a cry. josh followed after him, his face returned to its normal, warm state. "hey, what floor do you live on?" he questioned, pulling one of tyler's arms over his head to help him walk.  
he pointed to the third floor.  
"mine's on the first. it'll be easier to get to. is that okay?" tyler nods, limping his way to the door of josh's apartment.  
the boy fumbled with the keys for a moment before opening it and helping tyler to a couch. tyler nodded his thanks and rested his head on the arm of it.  
josh left the room and returned with a cup of cold and some painkillers, which tyler was eternally grateful for. the cotton-haired being seated himself at tyler's feet, carefully removing his shoes and looking at his ankle. he winced at the sight of his own splotchy skin, pulling his leg away. "hey, it's okay. i'm not gonna break it anymore" josh grinned, and tyler just nodded, replacing his leg. josh examined it thoroughly and sighed after a while. "it's not broken, which is good. maybe sprained."  
tyler nodded. again. he just couldn't take his eyes off of josh. he seemed to have this..aura around him that absorbed all of the blinding light tyler was used to and contained it in his eyes. he was truly like a fantasy. he was lost in thought when his hood fell back, causing him to snap out of it and grab the hood and try to pull it back.  
"y'know, you're home here. don't worry about the hood."  
tyler could feel his heartbeat faster than ever.  
he shook his head, putting a hand to his multicolored skin and wincing at the touch. josh shook his head gently and stood up, walking over to seat himself beside tyler and put his hand on top of his own. "you're beautiful, baby boy." josh mumbled, using his other hand to pull the hood back to reveal fluffy brown hair that made his smile go even wider.  
tyler felt like he could've had a heart attack.  
"no.."  
"what?"  
"im..not beautiful."  
tyler choked out words, causing josh's happy expression turn to one of those of surprise. "are you kidding me, man? look. not only are you one color, you're like, 3! you have rad spots all over you. that's sick as heck." josh was gawking over tyler by now, who's face was lit up as red as a tomato. "no more arguing." josh said sternly, ruffling tyler's hair. "you hungry or anything?" he questioned, leaving his hand in the brunette's hair for a few moments longer before holding his head and removing the hand. tyler nodded dramatically.  
he never wanted to eat. never did eat, really. but something about josh just made him feel so safe. so at home. "all right then. someone's eager" he grinned, walking off to his kitchen to leave tyler staring back at him, with confusion clouding his judgement.  
he was thinking too much.  
"what the hell is going on?"


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw ; panic attack? kind of

josh served tyler a light meal consisting of cold pizza and flat soda, but he ate it nonetheless. josh was sat by him and had been watching him with a warm smile. he'd turned on the tv and was switching his gaze between tyler and the program displayed on the television. tyler had no interest in watching it. it always hurt his head.

"hey, you wanna come over here with me and watch?" josh spoke, breaking the awkward silence lingering in the air.

"uh. i don't really watch tv."

"oh. well, offer still stands." he smiled, opening his arms. tyler groaned but didn't decline josh's offer. he carefully crawled across the sofa, his head staying low to hide the red tint spread across it. josh left his arms open, and tyler eventually sat next to him, testing the waters. josh arched an eyebrow at tyler's distance, making him blush even more. it was kind of funny to him. tyler finally snapped and said 'fuck it', snuggling into the spot beside josh, resting his head on the man's chest. josh wrapped protective arms around him, helping him to feel safe. tyler sighed contently, placing his own arms against his body to wrap himself comfortably in josh's embrace.

tyler fell asleep soon after, feeling at peace for the first time in..well, forever. josh didn't mind it at all. he held the boy tightly, his grip never softening. he felt something deep in his heart that told him to take care of tyler, kind of like his son. or someone he really cared about. like...his husband?

josh's heart fluttered at the thought. he looked down at tyler. nobody could really label what he felt, but it was something he thought was close to love. i mean, tyler obviously had his imperfections. he looked disheveled and broken, which made josh's mind and heart hurt. but he still felt like tyler was the most perfect being he'd ever seen. like a golden god.  
he didn't really look too weak, but more frail than anything. he looked like he would fall apart at the lightest touch. but there was something about him..josh couldn't get over it. every bone and muscle inside of him was just screaming at him to protect tyler and feed him unconditional love.

he sighed and looked directly into tyler's slightly parted eyes. they were brown and dull, but he was still asleep though. weird. josh reached a cautious hand up and ran it through tyler's hair, moving it out of his face. his face. something about it made josh's insides all drop to a level lower than he'd thought imaginable. it scared him

_'why am i so comfortable with a stranger? why does it feel like we're best friends?'_

_why do i feel the urge to..._

josh cut his thoughts off. but he still couldn't resist. some unearthly force was pulling him to do things he'd probably regret. tyler looked so peaceful. he sighed, not acting on his thoughts and pulling tyler closer, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. the boy remained dormant still, so josh simply put a hand on the back of tyler's head and fell asleep.

\--------------------------------

tyler woke up in someone's arms, and he cracked his eyes open, panicking until he realized who it was. he felt his face immediately warm up. he had melted into josh, which was kind of embarrassing, but he didn't seem to mind. tyler tried to squirm out of josh's grip, only to be left helpless. he was too weak. luckily, though, josh stirred quietly. he blinked his soft eyes open in an angelic movement that made tyler gawk at him. josh chuckled and ran a hand through his soft looking hair, releasing tyler from his grip.

"s-sorry for waking you." he whispered, and he could feel himself shaking. that easily..pathetic..

he scolded himself quietly, but josh didn't allow it. he whispered a quiet "shh, it's fine" and made tyler's heart jump. "i uh, need to ... bathroom?" he spoke in broken fragments, and was understood, thankfully. josh pointed to a door down the hall.  
"thanks..im just gonna go, t-take these bandages off. t-they're hurting my head.." tyler mumbled, and josh nodded as he took off down the hall.

he closed the door behind him, and sighed shakily. his heart was pounding in his chest, a fresh wave of anxiety washing over him. so much was happening at once. he looked at himself in the mirror, glaring at his figure. his face was red, and his pupils were wider than the moon. with a gentle, shaky hand he gripped the end of the tightly wrapped bandage around his head and began to pull it off, shouting a loud 'fuck!' when his hand hit a wound. he felt tears prickling at his eyes, but he shook his head. "no..no more crying. d-don't be a baby" he hissed at himself, pulling the remainder of the bandage away and fixing his messy brown hair. he caught himself staring into the mirror until a bright light started fogging his vision, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. "no. nonono" he cried, his heart rate accelerating at a dangerous rate. he couldn't find his voice, so he tried the door knob. his hands were too shaky to open it. "fuck. no, no."

he held his head in his hands and tried desperately to keep his eyes from closing back to their normal squinty state, but the pain was unbearable. he started letting out choked cries, and was about to throw up when the bathroom door shot open. tyler turned with a startled noise and found himself back in warm arms, somebody holding him and whispering quiet, soothing words to him that sounded like a jumbled up mess of noise in his head.

"tyler. hey, tyler. it's gonna be okay. hey. look at me" josh's voice finally speared through his thoughts, and he did. tyler looked up with wide eyes, and watched as all of that blinding light returned into josh's eyes. his eyes. his eyes, as far as tyler could see, were hundreds of shades of some color he couldn't recognize. they were like tiny nebulas. they held the world. at least, to tyler they did. tears streamed down from his own colorless eyes, and he could feel every individual strain of salt water burn farther into his skin. josh was looking at him with the most motherly look he'd ever seen, and he pulled him close. "it'll be okay. i'm here," he soothed, and tyler wrapped his arms tightly around josh's waist, never wanting to let go. "ty? hey, baby boy.." josh mumbled after a long silence, causing tyler to look up.

"y-y-es?"

he could barely speak, and flinched at the sound of his dry voice.

"i love you."

 


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight smut :^) (not detailed)

tyler froze to the spot.  
"w-what?"  
"i said i love you, tyler."  
"oh..i..love you too"

josh smiled, holding tyler close to his frame and not letting go for a long while. when he finally _did_ pull away, he turned tyler around to face the mirror, placing a hand on each shoulder. "can you tell me what happened?"  
tyler nodded slightly, taking a deep breath.

"okay..um..this is gonna sound k-kinda crazy b-but..i have this condition, called achromatopsia. it's where i can only see black and white, a-and to me-" he took another breath. he wasn't used to talking this much. "there's always this uh, thing where th-the light you would see is really bright a-nd blinding an, it hurts to look at-" he felt himself become shaky again as he expressed his flaws, but josh was looking at him, listening intently. "and..th-thats why i don't have m-my eyes open a lot. but..e-every time i see you..th-the light is all absorbed into your eyes, and it cr-creates this.. aura around you that just draws me in an-"  
josh cut him off by running his hands down tyler's sides, causing him to shudder.  
he knew he was just trying to soothe him, but it "bothered" tyler a little.  
"and..its like..i-if i go away..from your touch for too long i-it all comes back, an it hurt.." tyler concluded, his words stopping. his mouth was still hanging open though, and he was looking at himself in the mirror. josh didn't speak, and tyler thought he had fucked it up. of course he had. that's all he was good for. being a fuck up. he felt tears rolling down his cheeks again, and he melted into josh's grip. the boy kept his hands on tyler's hips to support him, and he could feel them burning into his skin.  
"when i touch you with my hands, right?" he questioned, and tyler nodded.  
"what about this?"  
he felt warm lips suddenly pressed against under his jawline, the slight scrape of josh's stubble making the action all the more thrilling to his body. tyler gasped quietly and felt chills run all the way up his spine, and directly to his brain. he could feel a searing pain behind his eyes, causing him to almost go limp from the overwhelming feeling. "st-stop.." he whispered, unable to handle the peculiar thing he felt. josh nodded and grinned at his effectiveness, but pulled away respectfully.  
"fuck.." tyler whispered, and his eyes were stretched wider than he'd ever imagined possible.  
"was that okay? im sorry if i over stepped my bounds.." josh whispered, using that voice that still drove tyler crazy. it wasn't even sexual, he thought. ..there was just something about it that made him want to give himself up to josh and..oh.  
tyler blushed a dark shade of red, and he felt josh snake arms around his hips.  
"are you going back to your place to sleep? it's getting kind of late."  
"y-yeah..i've got some..uh, stuff to do" tyler replied, looking up at josh, who had to restrict himself from tilting his head just a _bit_ further down.  
"alright... just text me if you need me to come up. or like, bang on the floor. alright ty?" josh asked, unwinding his arms from around tyler and pressing another sneaky kiss to his head, making him go blood red again. he nodded quickly and escaped josh's grasp, limping back to the living room and grabbing his backpack. he was opening the door when he heard josh's voice.  
"hey."  
"hmm?"  
"i love you tyler."  
"..i love you too josh."  
\---  
tyler's heart was racing by the time he had reached his own apartment a floor above josh's. his mind was going crazy with thoughts he cursed himself for having.  
he sat his bag down and blinked, walking over to his keyboard that was settled neatly away in a corner of the cluttered mess. it was covered in dust. tyler sat at it and flipped it on, sighing as his fingers slipped over the keys. he was playing an older song called 'cancer' by a band he listened to called my chemical romance.  
his lips parted, and he felt himself relax before words slowly slipped out, gradually becoming louder. he played for about 5 minutes before he heard rustling from downstairs, and he decided that josh was probably trying to sleep.  
his own feet dragged him to his bed, and he settled down in it, staring at the ceiling. his heart was still racing, and he could still feel hands burning into his thighs, and he felt his own hands traveling somewhere else.

 _josh heard a little more from tyler than anyone ever will._  
some crying, gasping, and some strings of obscenities  along the lines of "fuck" and "my god" with no breaths in between being thrown out.  
josh knew exactly what was happening, and he couldn't help but to become curiouser and curiouser.  
_\----_


	5. five

josh woke up at around 6:00 the next morning, an hour before the bus came. perfect. he stretched, emitting a loud, pleased noise as the muscles in his back relaxed and fixed themselves. he got out of bed, walking around in his boxers, and walked into his kitchen. he made two cups of coffee and made a whole dozen of cinnamon rolls, and before he knew it, he was running up the apartment stairs. he knocked on tyler's door.  
nothing.  
he looked under the mat in front of the door, chuckling. "typical."  
he let himself in, careful to be quiet, and looked around. the apartment wasn't too far from his own, besides the fact there was a musician's touch to it. vinyls were strung up on the walls, accompanied by strings of dim white fairy lights. josh looked around in awe. tyler just kept getting better. he set the food down on a coffee table and made his way into the hallway, finding tyler's door, which was the one with a symbol on the door. it looked like 3 lines, one behind a half, horizontal line, another being diagonal, and the final being straight. |-/. josh kept that in mind. he turned the nob cautiously, walking inside and grinning at the sight before him. tyler was curled up next to a pillow larger than him, his arms and legs hung loosely around it. he was in a white tank top & some boxers, similar to josh's own. he chuckled, walking over and crawling onto the bed, putting his hand on the side of tyler's face. his head shot up instantly, his eyes seeming to go from dull to a strange blank but bright color. josh giggled. "good morning princess!" he shouted, causing tyler to groan and squeeze his pillow.  
"noo. no more sleeping. schoooool" josh ragged him, finally deciding to scoop tyler up bridal style. "h-hey!" tyler laughed, a smile spread wide across his face.  
josh was frozen on the spot for a moment. he'd never seen tyler smile. not like that. and it was for _him_ too. how special. tyler looked back and noticed he was staring, closing his mouth and looking down at his chest. "sorry.." josh breathed, feeling a bit upset. "you're just breathtaking is all."  
tyler couldn't help but grin.  
"beautiful baby boy" josh said in a baby-talk voice, making kissy faces at tyler, who swatted at him and winked. "be careful. i might 'accidentally' take that the wrong way" he whispered, making josh choke out a forced chuckle. he sat tyler down on the couch and gave him 3 cinnamon rolls along with a cup of coffee, and he swears he could've died the moment he saw tyler's surprised expression. "y-you did this for me? i can tell, we're gonna be like, best friends. this is sick" he grinned, taking a huge bite out of one of the rolls, letting out a content moan. josh blushed lightly, biting into his own food and taking a big gulp of coffee to chase it. "yeah. you deserved a treat. you go through a lot" josh smiled, and tyler looked at him as if he were a blessing from above. mwhich, in tyler's perspective, he was.  
-  
they sat and chatted for a while, until the clock hit 6:45. "shit," they muttered in unison, making both of their faces light up with smiles. "i'm gonna go change. be right back" tyler declared, limping away. it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. just sore.  
josh shrugged and just started changing right there, pulling skinny jeans over his boxers and removing his night shirt to replace it with an 'i want to believe' alien shirt. tyler was still quiet.  
josh padded quietly to his room, opening the door just a little, and instantly shutting it after.  
" _oh god oh god oh god"_ he panicked, skipping off to the bathroom. tyler had been wearing black panties, and was just pulling up his jeans. he had a nice ass. and other things. his whole body was just..wow.  
josh had to admit that.  
wait, what?  
he looked in the mirror and splashed cold water on his face, shaking his head afterwards to clear his thoughts. he'd turned to exit when tyler bumped into him. "shit s-sorry ty" josh fussed, scrambling out the door. tyler arched an eyebrow, following him.  
-  
they rode the bus together, but josh sat behind him rather than by him. he felt he had a better view of the asshole that'd hurt him yesterday. tyler was tucked away in the corner of his seat, headphones in his ears, hood drawn over his face. it made josh sad that he felt like he needed to hide it.  
every time he sensed that tyler was shaking, or panicking, he'd reach a hand over and take tyler's in his own, rubbing it soothingly. tyler wouldn't say anything, but didn't decline the gesture. the black haired guy was sitting in his seat, conversing with another male who was pretty short. he had shorter black hair and smudged red makeup around his eyes, his look completed with a nose ring similar to josh's. they stayed to themselves.  
-  
school went okay.  
tyler had josh at his side the entire day, using the excuse that his sight was worsening. the teachers understood, and josh just kept an arm linked with tyler's. the whole time. they even sneaked into the bathroom together, which was fuckin' hilariously awkward.  
"ty?" josh called out from the stall.  
"uh, yeah?"  
"come over today?"  
tyler snickered. "of course."  
in all honesty, josh _really_ wanted to see those panties again sometime soon.  
he unlocked his stall quietly to see tyler bent over the sink, fixing his hair in the mirror, not giving a single fuck that his ass was waving in the air, and that his jeans barely covered half of it. josh took a deep breath and exited the stall, coming up behind tyler and wrapping his arms around his waist. tyler giggled and looked up at him, whispering a small "hi." before shutting his eyes and snuggling into josh's hold. everything seemed fine for a few weeks. everything was the same.  
tyler and josh grew closer, both of them never staying apart for more than a night.  
everything was alright.  
until a week after josh's PDA in his bathroom, where he'd put his lips on tyler's magnificent skin. not only did it send shivers down the boy's spine, but it did things to josh he couldn't begin to describe. he started longing more and more contact.  
more..tyler. he felt drawn in by him, and every time he looked at the boy, he seemed to take his breath away.  
he felt like he could finally say it to himself.  
he was _really_ fucking in love with tyler.


	6. six

_it happened on a thursday._

_"_ come over today? spring break, dude" josh questioned, eyeing tyler, who nodded in response, keeping his eye on the doodle he was creating. josh nodded too and kicked his feet up, having no interest in listening to anything the teacher was saying. it was their last period, and they both wanted to leave. tomorrow's a holiday, and then no school for a week. thank god.  
josh had been acting distant lately, and it was throwing tyler off. he noticed the way josh always eyed him with a hungry look. like a predator. it gave tyler the chills.  
the bell rang and josh shot up instantly, grabbing tyler's hand and practically dragging him to the bus. he followed carefully, trying to avoid snagging his foot on anything. they got onto the bus clumsily. tyler sat in his seat. this time was different, though. josh was pressed up against tyler, his warmth was radiating all throughout him, and he felt a little too warm. his head was always turned towards the front, and he seemed on edge. tyler looked at him with a worried look, gently placing his hand on top of josh's, who finally calmed down and interlaced their fingers together. he smiled at tyler, causing his eyes to soften.  
they rode in silence, hand in hand, and it didn't bother either of them.  
  
after what seemed like an eternity, they reached their stop, and josh impatiently pulled tyler off the bus and into his apartment. tyler trailed behind awkwardly.  
"josh, dude, are you okay?"  
"what? oh yeah. im fine."  
he smiled, pulling tyler's hoodie off of his head and cupping his face with a hand, admiring the colors of his skin.  
"hey, josh"  
"yeah?"  
"can we hang out at my place? n-no offense but..you're like, always allowing me to stay here and..you take care of me.."  
"of course."  
tyler smiled and stood, grabbing his bags and dashing out josh's door and up to his own.  
he unlocked the apartment and flung his backpack somewhere on the floor, rushing to his room to change. josh waited patiently in the kitchen, grabbing some water.  
tyler returned in a white t-shirt with baggy sweatpants that hung a little low, revealing that he was still wearing panties. god, josh felt light headed.  
he'd been getting these urges lately, his heart beating and screaming at him to just reach out to tyler and finally do it. and today was the day.  
tyler sat in front of josh, half in his lap as he was babbling on about music. bands he liked. songs that made his heart flutter.  
"you know, ty, you have a beautiful singing voice."josh stated, a sly smirk on his lips. _yeah, and a good voice for other things._  
"what? n-no i don't.." tyler blushed, and josh couldn't resist it anymore. he had to try.  
"yeah..you do.." he locked eyes with tyler and moving a hand up to cup the back of his head, tilting it upwards a little.  
"—um.. n-no but like, they really inspired me to write.." josh wasn't paying attention anymore. he couldn't. his mind wouldn't let him.  
tyler had looked so peaceful in that moment ; relaxed clothing, an innocent smile of confusion. josh could stay there forever.  
"do you still think you're not beautiful?"  
his voice was full of seriousness.  
"i really don't.. i mean..m-my skin is weird, i get panicky too easy.. i ramble., an—j-josh?" tyler trailed off as he felt that josh was slowly losing concentration. his eyes were shining with something unusual and his expression was overall clueless, and before he knew it, a pair of warm lips were pressed close to tyler's  
it sent sparks throughout his entire body, his eyes specifically. josh had a hand on both sides of tyler's face. he sighed contently and put his arms around josh's neck. he'd never kissed anyone before. but he was glad it was josh. it felt like his heart was gonna run away from him. _god_ they'd both been longing this. tyler made a noise on josh's lips, causing the cotton haired boy to grin, sneaking his hand into the tangled mess of tyler's hair, and pulling him further. tyler couldn't breathe, and his lungs were full of fire. it was a good burn though. but nothing was burning more than the fact that josh had begun trailing kisses down tyler's neck, causing him to whimper and melt beneath him.  
he felt his skin crawling, and it was almost unbelievable, the way josh could do this to him so easily. he'd never been someone who thought a relationship would be part of his life.  
josh leaned down, pulling tyler close to him and placing a painfully light kiss to his collarbone, causing his whole body to convulse. he grinned, looking up at tyler to see wide brown eyes that looked different. _brighter._ there'd always been a cloudy film over his eyes, but now it was gone. he looked stunned, like a deer in headlights. it was kinda funny. he had his jaw clenched, his mouth snapped shut along with it. "relax, baby boy." josh whispered, causing tyler to gradually un-tense his muscles. something in josh had clicked, sending him back into his normal state. something inside of him had made him constantly yearn for tyler.  
tyler felt the same, but he was better at concealing it. josh looked up, making  a surprised sound when tyler re-attached their lips, longing for that spark. josh smiled on it and took tyler's hand in his own, tangling their fingers together. he used his free hand to lightly cup the curve of tyler's ass, holding him steady in his lap. tyler let out a soft sigh and wrapped his arms tighter around josh's neck, trying to get as much of him as he could. josh trailed his hands up tyler's hips, making him jump with a small moan on josh's lips. he grinned and licked at tyler's bottom lip, and he complied immediately.  
josh slipped his tongue in, and tyler could feel their tongues dancing around his mouth. it was hot and passionate, and it was truly amazing for someone's first kiss.  
josh moved off after a long while, leaving tyler panting and looking into his eyes.  
"th-that was.."  
"yeah."  
josh locked eyes with him, licking his lips subconsciously, making tyler squirm in his lap. josh moved his hands back down, slipping one beneath tyler's sweats and cupping the curve of his ass, making him let out a shaky noise. his face lit up immediately when he remembered his choice of underwear. josh grinned and nipped at tyler's collarbone, still settling his hands behind him. "j-josh?" tyler mumbled.  
"yeah?"  
"c-can we not..um..j-just..not right now?.."  
josh looked at him, seeing that tyler was shaking visibly. he wasn't the kind of douche who'd pressure someone. "of course, baby boy. i want you to be comfortable." josh murmured, giving tyler a soft kiss on the lips, which was returned without hesitation  
"i've just got b-bad experiences with..uh, o-other people.." he whispered, his voice no higher than a quiet gust of air. josh's eyes widened and he could feel a steady rage form in the pit of his stomach.  
"hey, i'll never do that to you. i promise."  
tyler smiled sheepishly, hugging josh. "can i stay here tonight? i'm too tired to go allll the way back downstairs" he whined with a fake pout, and tyler's face got red. "of course." he smiled. "are you ready for bed now?.."  
"kinda"  
"okay."  
tyler climbed out of josh's lap clumsily, waiting for him to stand before trailing off into his room. "is it okay that i..sleep in these?" he questioned quietly, pulling at the waistband of his panties and tugging it into visibility. "whatever you want, princess," josh grinned, shutting the door behind himself and walking into the room. he took off his own jeans, glad to finally be free from the sweaty cave of denim. he pulled his shirt off as well, his eyes flickering over to see tyler staring at him with widened eyes. "like what you see?" josh said in a mock-macho man voice, making tyler giggle. "very much."  
josh winked and sat the shirt by his pants and shoes, climbing into the bed. tyler had his back to the bed and was cautiously stepping out of his sweatpants, making josh hold his breath. he didn't make any profane comments. tyler turned with a red face. "a-are you sure this is okay?.." he questioned, looking nauseas. "it's fine, baby." josh cooed, his eyes roaming over tyler's colorful skin, which he loved so damn much. he was laying in the bed with his waist-down covered, half of the duvet pulled up waiting for tyler. the boy walked over, smiling and slipping into the bed.  
"you look beautiful." josh stated.  
and for once,  
_for once,_  
tyler didn't argue.  
"thank you," was all he said before cuddling up to josh, laying back-to-front with him, wrapped up in his protective grasp. josh didn't mind. he held tyler close, tangling their legs together and placing his hand on tyler's, nuzzling into his neck and whispering a silly "i love you" to him. it didn't mean anything. he thinks.  
tyler was already in a peaceful sleep.


	7. seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter starts w/ smut !

"fuck," tyler gasped quietly, feeling hands roaming to a region of his body that had long since been abandoned. he looked to his pursuer, seeing fluffy hair he knew belonged to josh. he had no recollection of how they'd gotten this far...  
hands gripped his backside, causing him to shudder into the touch and make a loud noise when the hands traveled forward, putting pressure on forbidden places. tyler squirmed, but tight hands pinned him down.  
"j-josh—" he whined, being cut off by the boy's rough lips being slammed upon his own in an attempt to make him quiet.  
tyler's hips rolled forward as josh's hands worked him, causing him to moan inaudibly on josh's lips. he grunted and pressed tyler deeper into the kiss, still keeping one hand pushed against his shoulder and one working in another area. "j-josh, shit, i—"  
-  
tyler woke up with a sharp gasp, his body arching into josh. "fuck!" he shouted, feeling a warmth soaking his underwear. "shit. shit..what?" he panted, his chest rising and falling rapidly. josh groaned and blinked awake, seeing tyler shaking. "hey hey, are you alright?.." he questioned in a low tone, watching the way tyler's body was convulsing ever-so-slightly. tyler turned to josh with full-blown eyes, littered with embarrassment and.. lust?  
josh's eyes widened. "uh.."  
"g-god, i'm so sorry josh— i..i don't know w—" josh cut him off with a gentle kiss.  
"you're so dirty." he teased, causing tyler to pout. josh unraveled himself from tyler and stood, stretching and exposing his muscles. tyler gulped, staring at him. josh opened the door, walking off into the bathroom of tyler's apartment and returning with a damp rag. "here. clean yourself up, silly."  
he spoke in a soft, understanding voice, making tyler's heart flutter. how was it humanly possible for someone to be so perfect?  
he took the rag and stood up, walking to a corner of his room and stripping down, wiping the sticky mess off of himself and shuddering at the touch of cold water. josh watched with amusement, turning around eventually and walking to the kitchen. he explored through cabinets, pulling out oil, flour, and a variety of other ingredients and fruits.  
he turned the stove on, grabbing a skillet and greasing it, putting it onto the warming coils.  
tyler walked in behind him, his hair messy from sleep. josh grinned, turning around and giving tyler a tight hug in greeting. "feel better?" he questioned, earning a shy nod. "hey, dont worry about it. it's not that weird. i know i'm pretty hot" josh winked, turning back to the stove.  
he grabbed a bowl and mixed a bunch of ingredients together, tyler standing on his tiptoes and looking over his shoulders. he gasped like a little kid, his eyes lighting up. "pancakes!" he shrieked, jumping around. josh laughed, nodding and pouring some of the batter in the skillet. he looked concentrated, but his mind was racing.  
does he really think about me like that?  
he was..moaning my name in his sleep.  
oh god.  
he swallowed hard. "hey hey hey i wanna flip it!" tyler whined, knocking josh out of it. he was grabbing for the handle of the skillet. josh smiled and handed it to him, watching tyler slightly toss the skillet forward, flipping the pancake almost perfectly. "good job!" josh cheered, giving tyler a peck on the lips. he giggled and set the skillet back on the heat, looking proud of his work. they cooked about a dozen pancakes and decorated them with different fruits, ending up eating together on tyler's couch while watching tv. surprisingly, they were both watching the current show intensely. it was a show about two brothers and an angel who killed monsters and shit. it was pretty cool. tyler was sitting in josh's lap, leaning back on him while josh used his legs as a table for his plate. they both consumed their syrupy masses of food, tyler turning to josh and dying of laughter when he saw whipped cream stuck in josh's slight beard. he grabbed a napkin and wiped it off, earning a "thank you princess" from josh. tyler beamed with his eyes closed, and felt as happy as anyone could ever be.  
in all reality, it felt too good to be true.  
and, all good things must come to an end.  
this one sure does.  
tyler felt happy.  
too happy.


	8. eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slightly bloody !!

it happened the next day.

tyler and josh had laid in bed all day after breakfast, never moving until the next morning.  
they'd already gotten dressed, and were gonna go out for coffee. a date. josh smiled as he straightened out his outfit, consisting of a gray t-shirt, a hat, and some skinny jeans. typical josh. tyler wore an inside out white shirt and a black jacket that covered his arms, baggy jeans covering his legs. they were a little too baggy in josh's opinion, but he didn't say anything. he enjoyed the view.  
"hurry up in there!" tyler shouted playfully, knocking on the bathroom door. josh could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. he didn't know why, though. he felt off. anxious.  
its like he wanted to go, but every molecule in his brain screamed 'danger.'  
he sighed it off and opened the door, greeting tyler with a forced smile and taking his hand, wrapping his fingers between his own protectively. tyler gave it a small squeeze and grinned, walking them both out of the apartment and down the stairs. he could've sworn his heart skipped a few beats when tyler almost fell. he didn't though. josh caught him.  
they walk down the street for a good 30 minutes, and josh could feel his heartbeat very presently in all of his body, fueling his feet. tyler shot him worried glances, but shook it off as josh being josh. they reached a small coffee shop on the corner of a street called main. nothing special. tyler walked in first, waving to the waiters as if they'd known each other for years. it made josh feel jealous. they probably knew more about him than he ever will..  
tyler interrupted his thoughts. "josh?"  
"oh. yeah?"  
"..i said we can sit anywhere.."  
"oh. sorry."  
he gave a shy smile and chose the bar by the window, which gazed upon the busy city. josh could finally feel himself lighten up. nothing to worry about, he told himself, taking deep breaths. tyler hopped onto the barstool beside him and handed him a cup of coffee, which josh gladly took. he observed tyler, who was looking out the window with wide, curious eyes. "i've never seen the city before. not like this" he mused, resting his head on his hands and looking angelic. god, he was so perfect. josh didn't think he deserved him, really. he knew things about himself tyler never would. then again, maybe he would know, closer to now than josh hoped. he sighed and took a sip of his coffee, savoring the feeling of the scalding liquid trailing down his throat and leaving a faint burn. it felt good, seeing as "spring" was practically winter. his thoughts traveled back to the events of the day before.  
he began to wonder what tyler's dream was. if it was even him. he imagined tyler beneath him, arms pinned down, breathing heavily and—  
"you alright, josh?" tyler questioned, nudging his side. "yeah. i-i'm fine." he coughed, his voice cracking. tyler arched an eyebrow. "what're you thinking about, hmm?"  
"um..nothing." josh lied with a faux grin, that tyler saw right through. "mmhm. well, i'll be right back. i know of a secret music shop a story up. i'll be back really quickly."  
tyler kissed josh on the cheek, vaulting out of his seat and out the door of the shop, and josh was alone. he was then aware of the noise around him. everything had always circulated around tyler, and he'd never noticed the loud people conversing throughout the shop. he let his mind wander back to dark places, images flashing in his head of possible scenarios, causing blood to go directly to his face and..other places.  
josh was devious when it came to the idea of sex. he was the person who would always get lost in a wave of lust ; become a monster. his partners usually never minded. although, he'd only ever had one. he felt his spirits drop when old memories resurfaced of someone forcing him to a bed and demanding to be fucked. josh always felt gross; like it was wrong. sex for the hell of it.  
sadly, he grew used to the roughness, and never came down from it. he became addicted.  
to him it was like nicotine, but worse. ever since then, nothing had given him pleasure. no girl, no boy, no touch, no toy. nothing.  
it's kind of hard on him, y'know, because he had no way of relieving stress other than hurting something. or someone. he shuddered, and suddenly his breathing halted when he heard something outside hit the ground with a sickening thud. he swore loudly and shoved himself out of the seat, spilling his coffee. he didn't care. he shot out the door and turned the corner. he almost fainted.  
tyler.  
tyler was on the ground. lifeless.  
josh looked up, his vision clouded with anger. this, burning feeling that he could feel enveloping his entire existence. it took all of his willpower not to shoot up those steps and beat the life out of the black-haired menace staring down at him with a horrified expression. "tyler. baby, please." josh whispered, running up to the body and picking it up. he held tyler's head delicately, bursting into tears at the sight of blood pouring out by the gallon. he felt a faint heartbeat, thank god, and ran to the shop in a panic. "you—" he pointed to the main barista, who'd gasped sharply when josh ran in. "call an ambulance. now!" he shouted, holding tyler so close, he was lost in finding the faint trace of life left in him. the manager called, and held a rag to tyler's head afterwards.  
"hang in there baby boy. it'll be okay"  
josh muttered shakily, tears streaming down his eyes. he pressed a broken kiss to tyler's forehead, and he felt the boy's body convulse right there in his arms.  
no. god, no.


	9. nine

_"_ _please, wake up, baby. please. for me_ _"_  
-  
tyler blinks awake to find himself sitting in a small cabin, alone. "what?" he mumbles, shuddering when the words echo off of the walls. a sharp pain thrums in his head, but doesn't knock off his vision. he stands up shakily, barely being able to. "h-hello?" he whispers. the only thing that comes back is the sound of his own voice. wait, _no._ it's a more distorted version of his own voice. he looks around in fear, running to the door of the cabin. he opens it, faced with a forest, split down the middle. "great. i ..how did i even get here?" he whines, his anxiety building. but there was one thing..off. he couldn't feel his heartbeat. he was worried to death, but the silent rhythm of it was faint. almost gone. that was terrifying, honestly. he crept forward with uncertainty weighing heavy in his stomach, taking a deep breath. he takes the path on the right, walking through the forest. it got darker, darker, darker, until all he could see was a set of red eyes at the end. he wanted to run, run so far away, but his feet kept him forward. he reached the figure. it was a blinding white light with a distorted shadow-like body. it whispered things to tyler.   
" _come be free, tyler. come with me"_  
"who are you?" he whispers.   
" _my name is blurryface. i'm your angel"_  
the figure responded, his voice soothing and slowly pulling tyler in. " _come with me."_  
tyler reached out a hand, and was about to reach out when he heard a pained scream. he turned to see a figure similar to blurryface, but instead it was black. it was black and barely there. _almost broken._ "please, tyler. wake up. wake up. wake up-" it chanted, eyes coming into existence. they were full of pain and tortured memories, and they had a familiar look in them. they held tiny nebulas, fainter than then feeling of tyler's almost nonexistent heartbeat. "i can't do this without you. please. i love you." it wailed, reaching out arms that were fading slowly. tyler could feel the walls of the forest slowly disappearing, and then there was 3.  
tyler was lost in the eyes of the broken phantom, while the lighter crept up to him with a freakish grin. tyler felt chills on his back, and saw a bright light creeping into his vision. but something caught his eye. he turned to the broken figure, gazing into it's eyes.  
its _brown eyes._  
tyler felt a wave rush over him, almost drown him. he realized there were white arms wrapped around him, and his heartbeat lessened. with a mighty scream, he knocked off the light and began to run in the direction of the color, but he didn't seem to move. his feet were running, and his heart was beating faster in his ears than it ever had. he chose that broken spirit. he leapt into its arms and held it tightly, feeling as unconsciousness took him.  
-  
he woke up to loud beeps the next time, his heartbeat finally present. he let out a loud sigh and tried to move, but something was curled up against him. he squirmed, feeling the effects of medicine numbing his mind.   
the mass against him sat up. tyler groaned and rolled over, watching as the person looked down at him, his brown eyes wide. he ran a quick hand through tyler's hair, ruffling it and shouting something he couldn't work out. he leapt off of the bed, his blue hair bouncing as he- wait. _blue_ hair. _brown_ eyes. tyler shot up and screamed "JOSH'!" as loudly as he could, removing his iv and jumping off of his bed. josh turned around with a tearstained face, almost falling over at the force tyler hugged him with. "josh! josh! i can see! i can see!" he chanted, squeezing the warm body with as much energy he had, tears pouring from his eyes. he didn't even bother noticing the multiple nurses who were trying to rush him back to bed. he looked around, his eyes sparkling. he looked at everything. blue. brown. cream. he saw _everything._ he felt like he could've passed out he was so happy. josh didn't give him up to the groping nurses. he was holding tyler close and whispering loving words. "god, tyler. i thought you were gone. dont do that again" he choked, kissing tyler on the head. he looked up at josh with a genuine smile, so real that it melted josh's heart. he'd never seen him so happy. "hey hey baby boy, come on. sit back down." he soothed, holding tyler's hand to lead him back to the bed. he sat down obediently and let the nurses check his vitals, but josh could tell he wanted to go home. go see everything he's missed out on. "mister joseph, can you see this? what color is it?" one nurse questioned, holding up a piece of paper. tyler lit up and squeaked like a child. "all of them! it's a rainbow!" he giggled, looking at josh. _really_ looking at josh. his smile faltered when he met josh's gaze. he looked exhausted, and broken. he made a connection. _josh_ was the guy in his dreams. he didn't know why he was sad. he was beautiful. he had candy floss textured blue hair, a nice mix of pale and tan skin, and a gorgeous array of colors on his arm. he was somewhere between buff and skinny ; just right. strong enough to protect but too weak to stay together without help. tyler also noticed he had bags under his eyes that were an ugly shade of purple and black. he just wanted to go home and sleep with him..let him rest. he couldn't remember much. of anything. the only thing tyler really remembered was that he had fallen, and that he had a creepy dream. "when can i go home?" he asked the nurse. "once we make sure you're alright." she responds, handing him a cup of water and a pill. painkillers. tyler grimaced, but took it anyways. josh took a seat beside him and held his hand, giving it frequent small squeezes. the nurses did their usual rounds, checking his pulse, blood sugar, etc. josh felt himself drifting off, his grip on tyler's hand never faltering.   
-


	10. ten

-  
somebody was shaking his shoulders about an hour later. he blinked his eyes open to see tyler's soft eyes on him, fitted with a smile on his lips. "come on. i've just gotta get dressed and we can go." josh nodded with a light groan, standing up and wobbling a little. "i'm gonna have to cut you off, sir" tyler giggled, holding josh steady, making him grin. "you're so cute."  
"i know." tyler pulled off his hospital gown, not thinking twice due to his mind still being a puddle of mush from the medicine. he shimmied out of it, left only in underwear. he giggled and walked over to josh, hugging him close. "no! you naughty boy" he laughed, grabbing tyler's shirt and pulling it over his head. "can i just go like this? pants are sooo overrated" he whined, looking at josh with puppy dog eyes. "no silly. only i'm allowed to see that" josh replied smugly, winking and making tyler shut his mouth. he pulled his jeans over his hips in a not-so-graceful movement, making josh shake his head. he walked up behind tyler and wrapped his arms around him teasingly, fixing his jeans and even buttoning them for him. tyler made a noise similar to a cat's purr and looked up, kissing josh on the nape of his neck. josh purred back a 'thank you love' and pushed tyler ahead, leaving his hands in place to guide him out by the belt loops.  
-  
josh ended up carrying tyler home, seeing as they didn't have a car, and he laughed the whole way, acting like a drunk man. josh found it amusing, the way he kept snuggling up to him and bursting into laughter. they reached josh's apartment eventually, and tyler jumped down from josh's arms and ran to the door. josh smiles a little and unlocks the door, opening it only an inch before tyler ran inside. he slipped and fell to his knees, but he was looking around. he was wide-eyes ; stunned even.  
"i-it's so beautiful, josh. you're so beautiful" he whispered, his gaze trailing the whole room and landing on josh.  
_his josh. his stunning, blue haired josh._ he gulped and struggled to his feet. "thank you..for doing this" tyler murmured, stumbling over to josh, grabbing the collar of his shirt and kissing him deeply.  
josh made a surprised noise and kissed him back, tangling a hand in his messy bed-hair. tyler couldn't breathe, but he didn't care. josh sighed heavily and pulled away, leaving his hand in its previous place. "how did _i_ do this?" he questions, earning a shrug from tyler. his face went a little pink. "i d-don't know..it's just..this one time you kissed me..like, on the lips, the light that always blinded me..it just..disappeared into your eyes. like magic, y'know" he stuttered. "and..i guess you must've done it again..because..i-i had a dream..and i could see. i could see your pretty eyes, and it..it followed me here. you..you guided me into the color. it bled through my world and just..made it so amazing." he concluded, looking up at josh with wide, sparkly eyes. eyes that've only seen a few things, truly.  
"wow.." was all he could say. "i did that, huh?" josh smiled, taking tyler's hands in his own and tangling them together. "you drive me crazy, you know" he said softly, smiling. "i love you."  
"i love you too, josh. i _really_ do." tyler leaned in again and kissed josh softly, and he felt like he was gonna cry. he could feel his heart swell up in his chest; with love. for tyler. for everything. he shook his head. "i have a serious need for netflix and cuddles" he grins, and tyler nods in agreement.  
-  
tyler's sitting patiently on josh's bed, sprawled out and still high as hell on hospital medicine. josh flips his tv on and turns netflix on, hovering over 'supernatural' before pressing his xbox controller. he tosses it onto the bed beside tyler and walks over, crawling onto the bed and pushing tyler a little. "you've gotta move, or no cuddles." josh said sharply, causing tyler to look up at him with an alarmed glare and flail his way to one side of the bed. josh snickered and forced his tired body to move, laying on his side and pulling the duvet over him and tyler. "come on." he rolled his eyes with a grin, opening his arms. tyler instantly rolled over and into them, nuzzling his head into josh's chest with no intentions of actually watching netflix. he still felt woozy, but it was a good woozy. good enough to where his mind was numb and not concentrating too hard. josh traced shapes onto tyler's back for a while, moving on later to gently massage his shoulders. tyler groaned and melted into the touch, slowly feeling himself fall asleep. he let his eyelids droop, and saw red eyes, followed by a vicious shriek. he jolted awake instantly. apparently, he'd taken a longer nap than he thought. the room was dark and josh was snoring quietly, his arms wrapped loosely around tyler's frame. he shivered and moved closer to him, inhaling deeply and absorbing his warmth. his mind had returned to its normal state, (sadly), and he felt anxious once again. he felt like someone was watching him.  
he heard a noise come from josh's window, and his gaze instantly shot over to it. his heartbeat accelerated dramatically, and the room was so quiet that he could hear the flow of his blood and the steady beat of josh's slumbering heart. he didn't want to wake the boy, but he could tell that was a wasted effort when the blue boy groaned and announced his awake state. tyler was curled up into a ball against him at his point, his arms wrapped so tightly around his waist that josh could barely breathe. "tyler?" he mumbled, his voice quiet and raspy from sleep. it was kind of hot, to be honest, but tyler's mind was focused on something else. "s-sorry." he stuttered, breathing hot air onto josh's chest.  
"what's wrong? can't sleep?" he sat up a little, pulling tyler up with him and rubbing his shoulders. "i k-keep seeing things..imagining sounds a-and stuff. this red eyed guy keeps haunting me.." he whispers, his voice cracking. "he's scary, josh. i..im scared of him.." tyler whined, sounding like a fragile child. josh sighed and pulled tyler up to semi sit in his lap, cuddling him close. "nobody is gonna get you, okay? they'll have to go through me first." he promises with a small grin, ruffling tyler's hair and allowing him to lay on him. "o-okay.." he mumbled, sniffling a little and rolling off of josh. "you need me to cuddle you?" he asked jokingly, but he could feel tyler nod. josh's heart fluttered.  
he slipped behind tyler and put his arms around his waist, one hand on his stomach and the other gripping that one.  
"i've got you baby boy. get some sleep."  
tyler was already fast asleep, and everything suddenly felt nostalgic. josh slipped away into a state of sleep, his dreams riddled by their usual references to his past and memories he'd tried to forget, but he stayed asleep and strong.  
for tyler.


End file.
